Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at NZME.
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Whakatāne homicide: Women accused of killing 8-year-old boy face additional charges
Rickah'Shae Keefe-Haerewa died after an alleged assault in Te Teko in 2024.

Culmination of St Patrick's Day drunken flirting, or opportunistic rape while woman slept?
Jurors were unable to reach a verdict in a Tauranga District Court rape trial.

St Patrick's Day rape-accused claims woman flirted, talked 'dirty' with him
He claims they had consensual sex while the Crown says the woman was asleep.

Family want answers from men who left a hitchhiker to die alone, trapped in crashed car
Police never charged anyone after Hemi Rapaea's death on SH2, south of Hastings, in 2016.

Man says he walked into a room to see his fiancee being raped
'It's not what it looks like,' the man accused of rape allegedly told her fiance.

'I'm the outcast': Niece speaks of how uncle's sexual assault made her the villain
'I feel as if I’ve lost so much more from your actions than you did,' she told him.

Teen claims she was kicked in the head for not handing over her $700 hoodie
But the other teen claims she ended up with the hoodie after a mutual clothing swap.

It's a 'rough area': Tenants deny starting fire that damaged rental property
The fire happened hours after the tenants had been asked to remove a pile of rubbish.

'Feared she'd lost half of her face': Mother's distress at dog attack on young girl
A pair of former dog breeders have been sentenced after their sire attacked a 5-year-old.

Police justified in shooting at Queen St building site gunman, IPCA finds
Matu Reid shot and killed two of his colleagues and injured others in the 2023 shooting.

'We could have saved my mum's life': Family's complaint after delayed cancer diagnosis
A woman's ultrasound of a pelvic mass was delayed by six months due to a clerical error.

'Equestrian pursuits' come to an end after ex-racehorse turns out to be a bucking bronco
A rider who bought an ex-racehorse asked for a refund after it wouldn't stop bucking.

Prison not a 'just' penalty for teen who coward-punched stranger in unprovoked street attack
A judge said the only way to describe the violence inflicted was 'extreme'.

Doctor claims sexual video was to document woman's consent
The doctor and married woman met on a sexual website and had a secret relationship.

Revealed: Motorcyclist who killed couple on pedestrian crossing has rap sheet
A jury has found motorcyclist Mark Kimber guilty of manslaughter.

'Wanton disregard' or 'human fallibility'? Jury to decide rider's culpability in double fatal
Geoffrey and Karen Boucher were killed when they were struck by a motorcyclist in 2022.

Paid Grindr meet-up with teen in public toilet reported when relationship ended
The man, in his mid-20s, started a relationship with the teen after their first encounter.

‘I wanted to know why I didn’t see them:’ Rider returned to scene where he hit pedestrians
The motorcyclist believes the pedestrian crossing was dangerous.

'You can’t continue to make victims': Teen ram-raider, robber gets dressing down from judge
He was in court on charges relating to stolen vehicles, ram raids and dairy robberies.

Whether motorcyclist could see traffic signal before fatally hitting two pedestrians debated
The 60-year-old man is defending two charges of manslaughter.

‘Bedlam’: First responders’ attempts to help pedestrians hit by motorcycle
People raced to help a husband and wife who were sent 'flying' in a motorcycle collision.

‘Flying into the air’: Witness recalls fatal moment motorcycle hit couple
The motorcyclist accepts he caused the couple's deaths but argues it isn't manslaughter.

'Cowardly and dangerous': Man deported after killing sleeping stranger with brick
He and a co-offender dropped the 7kg brick on the victim and kicked him repeatedly.

Was it 'unliveable'? Landlord speaks out over UK family's Auckland rental complaint
Owner believes the outcome might have been different if he’d defended the hearing himself.

‘Dangerous’: Woman ‘clawed’ self-proclaimed warden during parking clash
Russell Watts was assaulted by Stevee Ormsby after she parked near his house.

'Significant ongoing risk': Man who abducted and raped 14yo girl had raped twice before
He came across the young teen walking on her own and plied her with alcohol.

Man admits beating woman whose blonde hair turned pink with blood during assaults
The man pleaded guilty to an altered charge on the second day of his trial.

Woman's blonde hair turned pink after partner allegedly smashed her head on concrete
The Crown says she was pushed from a moving car by her partner, and then beaten.

‘Extreme lengths’: Woman takes revenge on ex-partner’s new wife by revealing OnlyFans content
An ex took screenshots of explicit content and sent them to victim's friends and family.

‘Only meant to scare it’: Dog killed after being shot with slug gun
Glenn Forsyth saw a dog eating bread he'd put out for birds. He shot it with a slug gun.

‘Tragic irony’: Ex prison officer who worked in sex offenders unit convicted of child rape
Shane Clayden was a custodial officer in a sexual offenders unit. Now he's an inmate.

‘Thuds’ from man's punches as he attacked ex-partner heard by golfer 50m away
A man was playing golf when he heard screaming; he looked up and saw a woman being beaten.

‘Hole the size of a door’: Tenant leaves behind rubbish and plenty of damage
The landlord could not claim insurance for the 12 worst holes.

Tenant trashed property, leaving ‘mountain of rubbish’ and $30k in repairs
The landlord says it took four people four days to clear the rubbish from the property.

She didn’t want her rapist to hurt anyone else so she went to police. On bail, he raped again
The second victim of Richard Wisnewski thought she was going to die during the ordeal.

'Kill him': Armed mobster on meth-fuelled rampage held 74yo man hostage
He was fleeing police when he broke into the pensioner's home and assaulted him.

Law firm partner accused of inappropriate touching at Xmas party
He allegedly grabbed a colleague's penis while dancing.

‘I was knocked unconscious’: Dispute over parking leads to alleged assault
Stevee Ormsby denies assaulting a man who confronted her about her parking.

'Forever 8': Women deny killing young boy in alleged assault
The pair accused of killing Rickah'Shae Keefe-Haerewa plan to take the charges to trial.

'Holding on to a rocket': Dad describes motocross crash that claimed 10yo son's life
The 'confident' and 'competent' young rider was killed in an accident in 2023.

‘Serious addiction to disgusting things’: Preschool teacher tells police
The 22-year-old woman was arrested after an FBI sting in the US.

'Left for dead': 12yo finds badly injured mobster dad in shed after hammer attack
The Mongrel Mob member's skull was shattered 'into minute pieces'.

Stepdad gave young girl lollypops in exchange for silence about ongoing abuse
The man has now been jailed for 'hundreds' of indecent assaults he inflicted on her.

Costly deception: Man’s crime spree with former bosses’ fuel cards, accounts
Judge: He took advantage of the kindness of a former employer and then stole from them.

'Doggedness:' the key to record drug busts: Inside Customs operations
It's not every day that Customs finds 725kg of concealed cocaine... but it does happen.

‘You stole his childhood’: Teen hitchhiker followed to playground and sexually preyed upon
The judge had 'never seen anyone less remorseful' than the offender.

'I don’t have a mum': Girl was disowned after revealing her stepdad’s sexual abuse
The girl's mother chose to stand by her partner, who was jailed for 11 years.

UK family say their dream of a better life here turned into tenancy nightmare
The family won $18,000 in damages at the Tenancy Tribunal. The landlord wants a rehearing.

Women charged over violent death of 8yo Rickah’Shae named
The boy died in November following an alleged assault.

'Pain and fear': Raped teen tells attacker she wished he'd killed her
The Crown said Raveen Saily had 'warped attitudes around sexual consent'.

'You’ll end up in the boot of my f***en car': Man jailed for attacks on ex-partners
When a woman escaped her ex, she'd been burnt, strangled, and stomped on.

Man extradited to stand trial for assault on partner's late father
A man's lost his bid to stay in NZ and avoid criminal trial across the ditch.

'Sinister': Husband accused of rape fathered three kids with wife's younger sister
'This is a court of law, it’s not a court of morals,' the man's lawyer told a court.

Tauranga man who sexually violated woman after work function named
She woke in the early hours to a man, who can now be named, 'forcefully' violating her.

Judge intervenes after 14-year-old girl faced second night in police cells
A lawyer says social workers are spending the night with youths as there are no beds.

'You’re trusting them': Family speak out after home failed to properly care for dementia patient
Audrey Wilson had repeated falls, a fractured arm and sepsis. She died in hospital.

Stabbed and walked away laughing: Teen's ongoing trauma after shopping mall attack
'Small disagreements' led to a teen stalking a peer around a mall and stabbing her.

'I've got to kill you now': Man kept ex in rural shack, beat her with hammer
He told her that if her family came to get her, they'd be killed and buried.

Shattered trust: Woman assaulted by team leader during cyclone response
'I feel confident knowing ... he’ll never be able to work for emergency services again.'

Junior doctor failed to check if woman was pregnant before inserting contraceptive device
The woman found out she was pregnant at 20 weeks when she felt movement in her abdomen.

Tauranga man sent to prison for sexual violation of woman after work event
The victim said the "horrific" sexual assault has "devastated every aspect of [her] life".

Rugby star's head-knocks blamed for 'fall from grace' after he onsold guns, faked burglary
Rugby and former TV star Matua Parkinson has been sentenced on firearms charges.

Mother leaves sons out of will sparking battle over $245k estate
Stepfather argued mother had provided for her children while she was alive.

Date pit dental disaster: Man's snack ends up costing him two molars and a denture
The company said he should have removed the hard item from his mouth, not chewed on it.

Uncle told niece 'you want this' after he raped her in a motel
He went on to sexually assault another niece, leaving both women traumatised.

Mix of verdicts in Tauranga rape trial for RSE workers
But a second man was acquitted of raping her at the end of the 2020 picking season.

Jury to decide: Rape or regretted one-night stand with two men?
'Flirtation or clothing doesn't mean consent; assess all evidence,' judge warns jury.

'You broke my family': Son's words to father who sexually abused him for 7 years
The dad coached his young son and friend to perform sexual acts in front of him.

'I can’t remember': Rape complainant's memory under scrutiny in seasonal workers' trial
After struggling to piece together night's events, woman says she knows she said 'no'.

'I got out, and I ran': Woman allegedly raped by RSE workers escapes out window
She claims they raped her in separate rooms of a property housing seasonal workers.

'Loss of emotional control': Jilted lover set ex's home on fire
Judge Lawson: The intentional damage shows a pattern of behaviour towards former partners.

Home carer claimed car had been sold – but was caught driving it after elderly woman died
HDC: 'Onus is on the support worker to behave in a professional manner.'

Manslaughter and meth: The man in the middle of two trials
The man who shot an unarmed man he thought had come to kill him, can now be named.

'Sorry': Much-loved family pet to be put down after repeat attacks on smaller dogs
'It snuck up behind us and started attacking my dog' - owner of injured Shih Tzu-cross.

School principal forged documents to claim grandparents' super after they died
Judge: 'Had you done this right, you probably would have got the inheritance anyway.'

'Horrified and deeply ashamed': 67-year-old found with 8500 child abuse images
However, the family man has been given suppression due to concerns he might self-harm.

'Unliveable': UK family say their dream of a better life here turned into tenancy nightmare
The family won $18,000 in damages at the Tenancy Tribunal. The landlord wants a rehearing.

'Peer influence at work': Young driver contributed to teen's death by racing
'There are two kids lying in the middle of the road,' a witness told police.